Pakistan Produces First-Ever Batch of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Sciences Graduates

Health Reporter

Karachi: For the first time in Pakistan, 230 students have graduated with diplomas in Professional Pharmaceutical Regulatory Sciences, a move seen as a breakthrough in addressing the country’s shortage of trained experts in regulatory affairs.

The graduation ceremony was held at Yousufi Corner, Digital Library, Ojha Campus under the Dow Institute of Biological, Biochemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, a subsidiary of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Vice Chancellor Professor Jehan Ara Hasan awarded diplomas to graduates, with former Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Saeed Quraishy, Registrar Dr. Ashar Afaaq, DUHS faculty, industry leaders, and students in attendance.

Speakers at the ceremony noted that Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports are projected at just USD 750 million this year, compared to India’s USD 30 billion, attributing the disparity partly to the lack of trained regulatory professionals. They said the newly qualified batch will play a vital role in strengthening Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry and boosting exports.

Prof. Jehan Ara Hasan said DUHS continues to pioneer professional education pathways in Pakistan, adding that the university is not only a medical education institution but a complete healthcare system. Keynote speakers emphasized that regulatory sciences are essential for both the healthcare system and the pharmaceutical industry, praising the graduates for their dedication.

Industry leaders including Saif-ur-Rehman Khattak, Sheikh Qaiser Waheed, Tauqeer-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Jafri, Sultan Ghani, and Dr. Syed Izhar Hussain addressed the gathering. Tauqeer-ul-Haq, CEO of Santé Pharma, stressed that without regulatory expertise, Pakistan cannot expand its pharmaceutical exports, noting that 80 percent of the local market share is held by national companies.

The event concluded with Prof. Jehan Ara Hasan presenting shields to contributors to the program while students received their diplomas.